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New Master of Science in Nursing Announced

Dec. 16, 2009 - Beginning in spring 2010, California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) will launch a new Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) to prepare nurses in generalist and advanced practice roles for positions in the health care industry, community or public health agencies, academia, or for continued study at the doctoral level.

"This is an exciting time for the School of Nursing," said Dr. Judy Papenhausen, School Director. “We take seriously our obligation to engage as responsible stewards of advanced nursing education in North County by identifying and meeting educational needs and by adding positive value to regional vitality. Our newly approved MSN program permits CSUSM to address a critical regional need for advanced practice nurses and nursing educators."

The MSN has been designed for nurses seeking careers as a nurse educator, an advanced practice clinical nurse specialist in chronic illness management, or as clinical nurse leader nurse responsible for leadership and management of patient populations at the unit level in an acute care facility.

The new program builds on CSUSM’s existing Generic/Basic Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) to BSN, and Accelerated BSN programs. This program has two options, one for the practicing RN with an ADN degree (RN – MSN) and one for the nurse with a baccalaureate degree (MSN). The first option is an accelerated program for the ADN nurse who will earn both the BSN and MSN upon program completion.

The program is designed to be completed part-time in two and a half years depending on whether summer session is elected. Full-time status and use of summers would shorten the program to two years.

Admissions

Admission to the RN – MSN program requires an associate degree in nursing from an accredited community college program, a minimum GPA of 2.75 for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate course work, and evidence of satisfactory completion of required pre-nursing required courses. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA while completing the BSN component of the program.

Admission to the Master of Science in Nursing program requires a baccalaureate degree in nursing from a Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or National League of Nursing (NLN) accredited program, a minimum GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate course work, and evidence of satisfactory completion of physical assessment, inferential statistics and nursing research with a grade of C (2.0) or better at the baccalaureate level. One year of recent Registered Nurse experience is required for both tracks prior to advancement to candidacy.

Students should have computing skills sufficient to complete graduate work including word processing and statistical software programs. Admission decisions will be influenced by the strength of the undergraduate program, academic achievement, community service, and the educational goals of individual applicants.

For more information on the new MSN program at CSUSM, contact the School of Nursing at 760-750-7550 or visit www2.csusm.edu/nursing.

About California State University San Marcos
California State University San Marcos combines the ambiance of a mid-sized, personal, modern campus with the unequaled value of the California State University. Since its founding in 1989, the campus has distinguished itself. Students benefit from the latest facilities and equipment, a superb faculty that enjoys teaching, and a rigorous academic program that prepares students for a successful life in and out of the workplace. A recent survey reported that our annual spending in the region was $161 million, generating a total impact of $307 million on the regional economy. 85 percent of CSUSM’s alumni stay in the region. CSU San Marcos is located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the city of San Marcos. It is fifteen miles east of the ocean; just thirty miles north of downtown San Diego.